Tag Archives: Noble

Florida’s “Bright Future” is beginning to dim. As the result of state budget woes, legislators have proposed restrictions that would likely reduce the number of students receiving the Bright Futures Scholarship.

“The amount of students receiving the award next year will be significantly lower,” said Joseph Bryan, a part-time counselor for Palm Beach Atlantic University. “It’s because the state of Florida is falling into major debt, and it’s a problem.”

Bryan is a guidance counselor at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, and previously worked with PBA Admissions. He commented on legislation still under consideration by state lawmakers.

The Florida Senate has passed a bill containing a number of provisions to tighten the belt of the Bright Futures budget. The House may come up with a different version. That means the ultimate impact won’t be known until a final version makes it through a House and Senate conference.

Under the Senate plan, students could only receive the scholarship for four years, instead of the seven years currently allowed. Students would also have to get higher SAT scores to qualify for the scholarship. Continue reading →

Florida residents can finally put away their sweatshirts and jump into a bathing suit for a warm and welcome spring. The winter solstice ended in February, but the cold seemed to linger a bit longer than normal.

“El Nino and a stubborn high pressure system over the central U.S. contributed to the cold this winter,” said NBC’s WPTV meteorologist Steve Weagle.

The average temperature of West Palm Beach decreased 3.2 degrees this winter, making February the tenth coldest winter month on record, with an average of 64 degrees.

Photo by Christina Cernik, Photo Editor

According to Weagle, weather statistics from most main weather sites were recorded as the lowest temperatures since 1981. The reason why the temperature dropped so low is due to the increased amount of snow that accumulated in the northern hemisphere.

This caused all of the south-bound forced air from the northern hemisphere to significantly cool things down enough for Floridians to notice a big difference.

According to Rutgers University Global Science Lab, the monthly snow accumulation for North America was 18.58 million sq. km., 2 million sq. km. more than normal.

On Feb. 12, the Palm Beach Atlantic University lacrosse team was defeated by its rival Miami University with a score of 7-11, and then again on Sunday by Georgia Southern University, with a loss of 16-15.

Team Captain Frederic “Fritz” Van der Grift said that their fundamentals need special attention.

“Missed ground balls, dropped passes and failed clears were all key reasons we didn’t come up with a win,” Van der Grift said.

The Sailfish have never won against Miami, a Division I school, but have come close every game for the past three seasons.

“The closeness of each game has proven to Miami that we are a legitimate threat to them,” Van der Grift said. “As a result, they take these games seriously, as do we.”

Also, Van der Grift said that the team has trouble “getting off the bus,” or properly getting ready for the game.

To eliminate the problem, the team’s head coach Chris “Suds” Southard has also created new routines for the team’s warm-up.

The Palm Beach Photographic Centre in downtown West Palm Beach offers classes for amateurs and professionals, taught by world-renowned photographers such as Lawrence Gartel, Dennis Reggie and David Kennerly.

The center moved to its new Clematis Street location last fall, but the company has been around for over 25 years, said Fatima NeJame, president and CEO. By using big-name photographers, the center seeks to draw in the public and aspiring photographers.

“You get a real sense of equality when professionals and amateurs alike are listening to the same speaker,” NeJame said. “It is an excellent learning and networking experience.”

Primarily, PBPC is a school for photographers. Memberships are available from $95 to $2,500. Each membership allows for admittance to workshops and community events that help photographers grow in skill and knowledge.

Texting while driving, that practice so common among college and high school students, will become illegal in Florida if a proposed bill makes its way through the state legislature.

Senate Bill 448, sponsored by Nancy Detert, would outlaw what officials see as a significant cause of motor-vehicle accidents among teenagers.

Over 20 percent of fatal car crashes involving drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are blamed on the use of cell phones or not paying attention to the road.

Here in West Palm Beach, the police department does not specifically track the number of fatalities caused by texting, but Public Information Officer Peter Robbins said that texting while driving is a serious issue.

The holiday break season is the most likely time for a student’s residence to be burglarized.

According to Palm Beach Atlantic University Safety and Security data, burglaries are most likely to occur in the months of November and December. In 2006, the most recent data available, more than half of the 21 burglaries reported occurred during these months.

With these statistics in mind, PBA officials urge students to take certain precautions when getting ready for the holiday seasons.Continue reading →

The Beacon Blog

The Beacon Blog is the official student blog of the Beacon student newspaper of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dedicated to covering everything related to Palm Beach Atlantic University and the surrounding area. Breaking news that matters to PBA students, alumni and Palm Beach community members.